Tuesday, October 30, 2012

So, the basic idea of Tuesday rotate is to talk about someone else, shift the focus a bit. Blogs are; by their very nature a bit ME ME ME aren’t they? and you can guess that when my blogging slows down it is because I am sick of the sound of my voice.

Todays Tuesday Rotate is about the Softies for Mirabel campaign. Each year for the past 5 years, Pip of Meet me at Mikes has put out the call and people have responded by making a softie to be given to one of the children being helped by the Mirabel foundation.

This was one of the first internet /bloggy things I was involved in many moons ago and one of the things I make room for each year (one year Connor even made a toy).

If you would like to join in, you can make a toy and send it to Pip and they will all be displayed in her (resting) shop window.

It has to be one of the great surprises of this whole blog adventure…the way people come together. As I have said many many times, it restores my faith in people more often than it makes me want to stab them in the head with kitchen forks – so that’s gotta be a win.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Sometimes a name for something will explode fully formed into my brain, long before the toy or whatnot is created (like the Cabbages) and other times it is the shapes or fabrics that start the process and the name can elude me.

Do you have a name for these cheerfully round rhinos?

They could technically be pincushions but I think they are just small toys. A perfect little hand hold toy for smooshing around, or stacking up, or using as an excuse to go and buy macaroons from your favourite Ballarat cake shop.

If you guys get to work in the comment box with your ideas, and I go and make apple pies for desert…It’s like I am multitasking isn’t it?

(and if someone knocks it out of the park with the perfect name I’ll send them a little rhino of their very own - or an apple pie, location permitting)

Are you making or planning to make stuff this weekend or just hanging out doing my job for me?

I get a lot of questions about felt, about where I buy it and what I prefer. I usually say to people that for something that is going to get a lot of love, you need to get the best felt you can afford. Because making is my jobhobby now, I am lucky to have a “craft account” and when the numbers look good, it is off to Winterwood for me.

You know I used to poo poo felt in crafts…I did. I have a childhood hangover from those nasty acrylic felt squares that we used in school.They were always green and brown and orange, and the scissors kind of made it squeak when you cut it.

You won’t find anything like that at Winterwood. It is hard to describe just how lovely (and forgiving )their felt is to sew with. So instead of raving on , I decided to have a look at my stash and share some felt.

Pop on over to Winterwood and have a look around, Sandra has a huge range of stuff (apart from felt) and stocks the awesome fabric that I make little hedgehogs from as well.

Let me know your felt experiences..Do you love it or hate it? Do you like to sew with it? Does the nasty stuff set your teeth on edge? Am I a felt snob?

A commenter at random will get a little kit to make up a Hedgehog of their very own. Everything will be included, a creative card and all the doings.

(Once again, no deals, no cash-for-comment, just sharing it’s Tuesday Rotate after all)

Monday, October 22, 2012

Little waits don’t bother me much, like waiting at the doctors or waiting for someone who is a bit late. Big waits…oooh they annoy me, Big waits like waiting for your boss to Ok your long service leave, or waiting for the phone call after an interview, those waits are hard work. I find it hard to think of other things, and check my email, phone, and carrier pigeon constantly!

So while I am in a state of wait (and weight it must be said)..I am noodling and far darkling along. I finished this teapot that I started last year – all it needed was the cup handle and lid button.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Todays Tuesday Rotate (something I have just invented and may possibly abandon at any time) is brought to you by Vic.

You guys know Vic don’t you, lover of varnished bread and giver of my fantastic Little Red print? Apart from now being a super sexylicious library chick (all library chicks are sexylicious, its the rules), Vic also has her own Etsy shop.

Geek Amour on Etsy, is the place to go to get your groovy funny cards….. When Vic first opened I bought some cards, then I had to go back for Black Books, and of course Doctor Who. In conversation with Vic in the land of bookface or somewhere I may have stressed my need for a card that says something along the lines of “You are a good egg”..and lo and behold if she didn’t up and design the perfect card !

and you know, I bought a few for me, and then one to frame and a few more in case there is an apocalypse and then I had to round it up so I find a I have a few spare. I was going to do a retrospective giveaway and then I thought…nah…. lets make people work…So why not go over and visit Vic’s shop and come back and tell me which card you like and why. I’ll get a passing pedestrian to pick a winner before I blog next and then I’ll send them some cards.

(and in the spirit of blog honesty Vic is my friend and I like her stuff and thought you might too, no shady deals, no sponsorship , no insider trading….She is just a damn fine egg)

I am not even going to get into a discussion about how long this pattern has taken me. Its is an embarrassment to time management everywhere. I have been making up samples for these guys and today I should go and buy the little rings for their collars, but man, its so cold and bleurghh outside, and it is Friday so even if I did by them, and finish them and wrap them and post them, they wouldn’t go anywhere tody anyway…maybe ring buying can move onto tomorrows list?

and what next..Oh people of the internets, Elsie Cabbage is off to the testers today, her brother is breaking my heart and will be here very very soon.

there are two beginners patterns bubbling away, I am heading off to Warracknabeal to stitch with Quilters Harvest in November, I am busy writing application letters, trying to sort out birth certificates and name changes and red tape hoo-ha.

and given that I have officially been approved for SEVEN MONTHS of Long service leave next year, I am trying not to drive everyone around me crazy with my explosive good mood, smirking smile and penchant for bursting into show tunes (jazz hands and all).